Houthi rebels claimed to have downed another American-made MQ-9 Reaper drone over the country on Monday. Videos purportedly showing a surface-to-air missile striking the aircraft were circulated online. The U.S. military acknowledged losing a drone.
The Houthis have also continued to launch missiles targeting Israel, prompting retaliatory airstrikes from the Israelis this weekend on the port city of Hodeida.
The Houthi military spokesman announced the drone's destruction in a prerecorded message aired Monday night. Hours earlier, video footage had emerged online showing a missile striking the aircraft over Yemen's Saada province. Additional images appeared to show the drone's wreckage, consistent with an MQ-9.
Later footage released by the Houthis depicted rebels examining the drone's electronics, likely to assess its capabilities. One piece of debris appeared to be from an MK-82 bomb, a type of weapon that can be carried by a Reaper.
Responding to queries from The Associated Press, the U.S. military acknowledged an MQ-9 was “downed but we have nothing additional to provide.”